Partner - GAG Immobilien

„Lich, Luff un Bäumcher” – Urban Development, the Colognian Way

8. 三月 2021

Podcast Episode 2 with Christian Heuchel and Kathrin Möller

In the second podcast episode, Christian Heuchel speaks with Kathrin Möller of Cologne’s residential housing company GAG Immobilien about housing being a crucial part of city life.

How did people in the past and how can they approach today the challenges of quality living in Cologne in a pragmatic, authentic and ecological manner? Is it possible to combat the housing shortage without compromising other functions of the city? Does democracy help or hinder? And what does the Veedel-life in Cologne look like today?

Podcast Episode 2 with Christian Heuchel and Kathrin Möller (Duration 46:25 Min)

Initiated by Konrad Adenauer, GAG Immobilien was founded on 18 March 1913 with the purpose of providing affordable housing for ordinary people in Cologne. In the same year, construction of the first housing estate in Cologne’s Bickendorf district commenced, with the then-popular idea of the garden city serving as the model for the residential buildings. Wilhelm Riphahn, GAG’s main architect in the 1920s, established Neues Bauen, the Modern Movement, in Cologne by the mid-1930s. With around 600 employees, GAG is today considered the largest housing provider in Cologne. Good quality, modern building services, a variety of sizes and locations, along with suitable amenities for people in different life situations, are paramount for the company.

Interactive map
Using selected building projects by O&O Baukunst, the topic is presented taking the city of Cologne as an example. For information on the projects, click here for the interactive map.

«Town Planning in Democratic Structures» is a project of O&O Baukunst Köln, C. FATH and World-Architects.